BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 40, 5 October 1905, Page 19

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

♦POSERS' BY A PRESBYTERIAN CLERGYMAN

The following ahle and pointed letter appeared in last Saturday's lssme of the ' Timaru Herald.' The Mr. Wnpjiti referred to is the official organiser of the Bible-in-Bchools League :— Sir,— As Mr. R. A. Wright is to speak on Hie subject of Bible in schools to-morrow night, might I ask that ha specially g-ive us some light on the Roman Catholic aspect of the question. I ask tih,is not as an opponent to the movement, but as one representing a large class who suucerely need light on tho subject. Some time back the Catholic Bishops then assembled at Wellington issued their manifesto, which by the way was tho best and sanest thing yet set i n type on tho subject, and so far I have neither read nor heard any 1 eqiuitablo Jan-swer to it. Woiuld it be asking too nvuch to request Mr. Wright to deal point by point with the articles in that manifesto ? The explanations noi douWt woiild be reported in the Timaru papers aiwl others like myself who could not attend to hear tho address could pro'btably get some help in the mlatter What appears -passing^ stranige is this. Almost to a man the nonconformist clergy in New Zealand sympathise strong] y with the Passive Resisters in the old land, who are refusimg to pay rates that go to the support of aw educational system that is against their interests. Yet in this Colony, forsooth, these same men who jwty the Resistors in England would thrust the same injustice upon the Catholics of this Colony by

coan'pepfogi them to play rates and taxes that help to supiport an educational system thiat is diametrically opposed to their religious training and beliefs. Ini questions such as these we must rise out of oHir peculiar views and cabined beliefs to a higher altitude, and thiere/ view the whole question by getting things in their right perspective. The point is not ' what I would like,' or ' what -I believe about the Bible.' but ' what is just and fair.' The special tenets of the Catholics are as precious to them as the sectarian views of any other branch of the Christian Church are to others. We all by training anldi temperament accept our religious color through glass of varying tints, and it seems to me in a Colony, siudh as this, where there are so many sects, that we need to leave all religious things strictly to the Churches and let the State adhere strictly to things secular. If this/ wish of the ' Bible-in-schools ' party is ever successful, then in all justice the 'Government must give a substantial grant for Catholic schools. We must ever gjiivo to ouhers the same liberty of thought in religion politics, or au'giht else, which we like to enjoy ourselves. As Mr. Wright is here and is the mouthpiece of the party, he may accede to this wish and give us some light o<n| this spiecial aspect of ihe question. We all know the children need religious instruction and are deplorably ignorant of the Scriptures. These are commonplace truths. It is the thorny parts of tihe ofuestion that need dealing with.— l am, etc , JAS. H. G. CH APPLE. Manse, St. Andrews. '(Mr. 'Weight's 1 meeting taok place, as aarriaJi^ad, on Sunday! "evening in the Assembly Rooms, Timaru. The onlyi referenJce made by him to the Rev. Mr. 'Chapiple's challenge was the following : •' A correspondent of the "'Timaru Herald " had -asked* diim 'to deal with the Roman Clatholic Bishops' Manifesto point by point. Ag this would; take at least three hours, he must decline to undertake the task that evening.' Thus far he has \ery carefully a\oided this very obvious ' tas.k.' If he over ujhdertaikes it— which wo gravely douibt— his performance sihowld be very interesting.— Bd. 'iN.Z.T.')